Blog # 4

What were the major components of the ideology of “true womanhood?” How was this ideology linked to the class structure of early nineteenth-century America?
The major components of “true womanhood” were to consider women as the spiritual and lovely wife. Also consider as a delicate and passive human being. Women were religious and devout; teaching their children their Christian beliefs. But the most important role was to inspire and support their husbands. Women were considering “true womanhood” if they have more spiritual values than men, lived a pure life; take care of children while men dictate actions and decisions and if they were the domain of the domestic work satisfying their husbands. “The ideology of separate spheres” considered women better suited to parenting. In the nineteenth-century “true womanhood” was view among middle and upper class white women.

What is the significance of the Lowell mill girls in the history of U.S. women and work? What were the implications of the decline of the Lowell system?
The Lowell was a textile factory in the 19th century which employed young women from New England. The factory wanted to increase their productivity and profits. Recruiting female girls was the best interest for investors and managers to keep Lowell out off discrimination, poverty and give girls the opportunity they did not have in their country. The factory had a set of rules that somehow favored women like maintain a good environment, encourage church attendance and maintain the factory clean. Employees had reasonable wage standards compared to other factories but it did not last for long because the economy went down and the prices of wool and cotton stating to decline and with them the salaries as well. It conduced to a strike which for most of the citizens were really surprising seen young women on the streets for the very first time. Eventually the factory had to shut down and young girls had to go back to their farms with their families to wait for a change in the economy. When the economy revived girls went back to their positions. They were required to work faster and hard to produce more cloth but women did not have an increase in their salaries. Women started asking for a legislature to benefit their needs as workers.

What is Sanger’s view of the moral nature of women? What does Sanger think are the cause and consequences of prostitution for women?

He thought that women had to be driven to become prostitute for some extraordinary event because the fact of been prostitute was not easy to women since they only survive four year after they enter in the business. Women were victims of their own destiny. Sanger thought that women poverty, cruelty, slavery, sexual abuse; bad treat from parents or husbands were some of the causes for women becoming prostitutes. Women being prostitutes allowed them to have the necessary financial resources to survive; even though their lives were in risk of serious deceases. Sanger also found out that women were between fifteen to twenty years old, there were native born; immigrants, Irish, married women, half of the women had children and also domestic servants.
3. How do Sanger’s conclusions about prostitution reflect the values of his own day? In Sanger’s days prostitution was everywhere; looked like women had founded a new way to escape their unfortunate situation. He was not sure that he was agree with women way of life but instead of criticized them. He wanted to understand them founded the true reasons why women had chosen an unwanted path in the society. Sanger knew that he could not change the women world; but he could contribute with the society to try to understand the decisions made by prostitutes.

Blog #2

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Blog #2

(This was originally posted on Wed., September 12, 2007 at 4:55 pm). HAR

1. Given the enormous variety among Native American women, are there any generalizations we can draw about their experiences in the era of conquest?

Native American women were the ones who help their people to survive. They work hard finding new ways to give their people the basic elements of survival: food and cloth. Native
American women gave the newcomers from England that colonized Massachusetts and Virginia and the Spanish that colonized New Mexico food such us corn. They were active in their society implementing the trade market to the Europeans. Native American women gave the chance to their communities to have a new market to sell their crops.
Native American women also got married with the white traders. The "country marriages" opened more doors to their trade system. They provide the secret of farming while their husband opened a new way to trade their products. Native Americans were mediators between two different cultures.

2. What is the meaning of the statement, "Whether they were slave-owners or not, white women's lives were inextricably tied up with slavery?"

African American women were slaves and they did not have any rights. Slave African women work the same way as men they were not allow to work in the house but in the fields. African American women did not have the opportunity to have a family or even have a partner. In the other hand White women had a family they lived with their husbands but they were treated with no respect. They stayed home take care of their kids and primarily their husband. Women in general were inferior to men. They had to work hard at home or outside and they had to rights of any kind. So slave women and white women had to live their lives subordinated to the men.

3. What where the most significant differences among European women colonists?

European women also had many difficulties first of all women immigration was less common than men. When they finally made it to America they were having health issues. There was a high rate of mortalities because of malaria and dysentery. But women used to have a longer life than men; therefore there were a lot of widows but seems like they were having a better opportunity than the ones back home. Widows remarried and were wealth. In the other hand women that were married were subordinate to their husbands. They did not have any rights; no voice, no vote and their husbands had the control of their properties. But changes in European women were notorious in the first and second generations the quality of life had had a significant change; obviously they were changes according to ethnic, religious, and region which determine legal and economic status.

Autobiography

Hi my name is Geny Villatoro. I am from Guatemala and I have been living in L.A. for about eight years. This is my second year at Glendale. I like to go to school because every day I learn something new. Therefore I am always busy studying. When I need to relax; I like to watch movies at home. Or sometimes I go to the movie theatre. But I do not have time to do anything else. My life is very complicated!!!... Well is not that bad but I think this is the busiest time of my life and also the a crucial one. I have been taking flying lessons the whole summer at Santa Monica airport and now that I just start college also have my first written FAA test. And also my oral and practical test are coming up. The good thing about it is that soon I will have my Private Pilot license but sometimes I say to myself "How I got in so much trouble" I can easily be doing something less stressful. But at the same time I enjoy every time I fly. Anyway, my major is Aviation and I am planning to transfer to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University next year. And this class is one requisite to my general education so I am so excited to take it because is the first hybrid class in my life. And I am sure it is going to be a good experience...

Geny